One of the most talented female race drivers, Ashley is the daughter of former national drag . In 2003, she bagged the Knoxville award for Best Rookie. First woman to lead a lap in Indianapolis 500. With NASCAR looking to boost the exposure of female racers, Brittney Zamora is one of the first to stand out. Brehanna Daniels is breaking down barriers in NASCAR. She had further raced at the Xfinity Series and Road Atlanta in 1986. The top tier of NASCAR, the cup series, has had 16 Female NASCAR drivers in its history. NASCAR did not respond to a request for comment about Armstrong's comments. Patrick removed the implants after having them for seven years. This year, at the Daytona 500, Siegel said he watched proudly when alumni of the program made up 10% of the field, including NASCAR stars like Bubba Wallace, Kyle Larsen and Daniel Suarez. In the male-dominated sport of car racing, some women have chosen this sport as their career, proved they can compete, and even won the pole position. So impressed was race winner and Hall of Famer Curtis Turner (Class of 2016) that he invited her to Victory Lane to celebrate with him. But here she is, at 27 years old, on the NASCAR pit road, changing tires on race cars and breaking barriers for women and people of color along the way. Toni Breidinger gets ready to race in the ARCA Menards Series Calypso Lemonade 200 in Winchester, Ind., July 31, 2021. Let's check out five female NASCAR drivers that deserve a shot in the Cup Series. Her last race was back in 1998, and she is now happily retired, leaving her legacy behind. She was the first female driver selected to the NASCAR Next program, which highlighted rising young talent. 15 and No. She finished 28th even though she started 42nd. Stay up to date with Hailie Deegan news, rumors, updates, analysis, social feeds, and more at FOX Sports. If NASCAR fans didn't know the name Hailie Deegan before Saturday night, they do now. She competed in the 2018 Daytona 500 and the 2018 Indy 500 before officially retiring from full-time competition. 25 cars. You have entered an incorrect email address! At Michigan she became the first woman to lead under green on a non-restrictor plate track. While Bobby Norfleet fought discrimination and disinterested sponsors on the track, he enjoyed inspiring his daughter Tia at home in Suffolk, Virginia. Danica Patrick In 2019 Camping World 500 (Source: Wikimedia). suspended after using a racial slur at a virtual race last year. Born and raised in Iowa, now retired, Robinson started her career for the Spring Cup Series in 1995. You Can Read About The 12 Best Race Car Drivers In The World>>>. She was a competitive rally driver from 1965 through 1974. Deegans triumph was the first for a female NASCAR driver since Shawna Robinson three decades back. This season, there's a new face on the racetrack, and she's creating history. Last year, the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Awards honored Breidinger, the first Arab-American female driver to participate in any NASCAR national series, with its Developmental Series Driver Award. She is the first female driver to lead a Busch Series event. Top-Ten Finishes by a female driver in the NASCAR Cup Series: Sara Christian, Pittsburgh, 10-2-1949, 5th (out of 23 cars) . Sign up for daily stories delivered to your inbox. [17][21], In 2012, Danica Patrick was voted NASCAR's Most Popular Nationwide Driver, becoming the first woman to receive that award in NASCAR's top three divisions. She also became the first winner in any ARCA-sanctioned series, because there have been no female winners in the main ARCA Menards Series as of April 2021. And yet, since receiving her racing license in 2010 -- the first African-American woman to do so-- Tia Norfleet has battled an alarming number of nay-sayers and obstacles. And that's difficult coming into the sport with little funding and maybe not a lot of seat time," Decker said. Through one simple child's go-kart, a NASCAR hopeful was born. She was born on June 25, 1997, in Eagle River, Wisconsin, U.S. Decker has competed at the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series and in 2015, participated in the Drive for Diversity. She finished 5th, the highest finish for a female, in the NASCAR Gander RV and Outdoors Truck Series in 2020, Daytona. Though NASCAR reports that developing diversity in racing is extremely important to them, it does seem strange that officials for the organization have spent a significant amount of time reiterating that Tia Norfleet, a hopeful driver looking to someday progress her career by announcing her future racing goals, is not yet a fully-licensed NASCAR or ARCA driver. The 1949 NASCAR Strictly Stock race at Langhorne Speedway featured three female racers, Louise Smith (from left), Sara Christian and Ethel Flock Mobley. Even before she started competing in NASCAR, Zamora was a super late model racer. It wasn't until 2012, 64 years after NASCAR was founded, that it signed its first female pit crew member, Christmas Abbott. However, Patrick would finish 38th after a crash. The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Program also aims for diversity across the sport, including the crew. To this day, her fifth-place finish at Heidelberg Raceway (which, in 1960, became the first track to fall off NASCAR's tour) remains the only top-five finish for a woman in NASCAR. She retired from full-time stock car racing after the 2018 Daytona 500.[25]. The 21-year-old, who once only drove go-karts, said racing at Daytona is an "unreal" dream come true. However, Patrick would finish 38th after a crash. Marie-Claude Charmasson is a lesser-known female race car driver who we think deserves more recognition. [3], 2021 saw a number of milestones for female drivers. Daniels said she has had to tune out a lot of negativity. Another woman (Alina Loibnegger) finished second, in the first time ever two women finished 12 in NASCAR history. During . Before we get to know the drivers better, let us look at an overview of the list. She was listed as one of the drivers for the #15 truck for Billy Ballew Motorsports as a teammate to Kyle Busch in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck. [8], No woman had raced NASCAR in a decade when Janet Guthrie started the 1976 World 600,[9] finishing 15th, ahead of Dale Earnhardt. [32], Formerly Strictly Stock Series (1949), Grand National Series (195070), Winston Cup Series (19712003), Nextel Cup Series (200407), Sprint Cup Series (200816), and Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (201719), Formerly Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series (198283), Busch Grand National Series (198494), Busch Grand National Division (19952003), Busch Series (200407), Nationwide Series (200814) and Xfinity Series (2015), Formerly SuperTruck Series by Craftsman (1995), Craftsman Truck Series (19962008), Camping World Truck Series (20092018), and Gander Outdoors Truck Series (2019). Danica is a successful retired NASCAR driver and the first woman to win an Indy Car Series race. In addition, she has competed in the complete NASCAR national touring series, ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde and Charlotte/Daytona Dash Series. Last September 29, 2018, 17 year old Hailie Deegan became the first female driver to win at the K&N Pro Series Level by winning the NAPA Auto Parts Idaho 208 at the Meridian Speedway in Idaho. She participated in five Winston Cup races between 1987 and 1989 and 133 . Baker was named one of the 50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers. Kim Crosby, a NASCAR female driver, was born in Tallahassee in Florida on 8th December 1964. Photo courtesy of NASCAR Archives & Research Center via Getty Images. Deegan, Robinson, Danica Patrick, Tammy Jo Kirk and Mara Reyes have won Poles. Louise Smith (1949-1956) Louise Smith, tied for second female NASCAR driver alongside Ethel, became known as "The First Lady of Racing.". Brehanna Daniels says she thinks about how much her life has changed in just five years. Siegel himself was NASCAR's first highest-ranking Black executive. Young's also announced that she would make her debut in the Truck Series with them in their new part-time No. Britany is a young stock car racer competing part-time at the ARCA Menards Series. Interestingly, the 1949 Daytona NASCAR event was the first to feature three female racers Christian, Mobley and Smith while the same three drivers also raced at Langhorne in 1949, the last NASCAR race with three female drivers. Though there have been strides over the years to diversify the male-dominated sport of auto racing, there are currently no female drivers competing at NASCAR's highest level, the Cup Series. The last time a woman drove in the Daytona 500 -- the kickoff to the premier racing series -- was 2018, with trailblazer Danica Patrick. In Australia, Terri Sawyer[13] won the Moomba 100 NASCAR race at the Calder Park Thunderdome, Melbourne on March 3, 1991 driving a Pontiac. We don't have to look far to find NASCAR's first ever female driver, because the very first race in June 1949 at Charlotte Speedway in North Carolina happened to have one in it. Named for the type of gasoline her father used in his taxi, Ethel Flock Mobley competed in more than 100 Modified stock car races in her career. But it was in 2016 she changed her tracks towards asphalt races and made her asphalt professional beginning in 2017. In 2016, she became a NASCAR Drive for Diversity team member and got awarded a Young Racer category prize. Tony stands out among the male-dominated sports, being just one of the four women to star in the Auto Menard Series this year. "NASCAR racing is one of the only sports nationally where men and women can compete at the exact same level," Krystyn Stowe, head of marketing for Busch Family Brands, Anheuser-Busch InBev, told ABC News. Since 2004, NASCAR has worked to develop female and ethnically diverse drivers through its Drive for Diversity Program. 7. Patrick is best known for winning the 2008 Indy Japan 300 and becoming the first woman to win in an IndyCar Series race. More power to them! In 2017, Brehanna Daniels, an alum of the Drive for Diversity program, became the first Black female over-the-wall tire changer in NASCAR's history. But she officially started racing in 1993 from the Xfinity Series and then made her Camping World Truck debut in 2003. 1 for the season-opening Daytona 500, the biggest race on the NASCAR schedule. In 1955, Wood finished third overall in the Class 4 (Unlimited Displacement) category for U.S. Stock Production Passenger Cars. She worked her way through the local series and was the first female late-model driver to win at Hickory Speedway.. Wallace has made seven Truck series and 2 Xfinity series starts. NASCAR, founded in 1948, didn't have its first female pit crew member -- Christmas Abbott -- until 2012. Tia established the "Driven to Read" literacy program, and participated in a variety of racing and charity events, including becoming a proud representative for the National African American Drug Policy Coalition and the Motorsports Institute, Inc. Her No. March is Womens History Month, a 31-day celebration that was formally recognized by the federal government back in 1987. In 2019, Kobayashi won in her one and only start in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series (in the Elite Club Division). Jennifer Jo Cobb. Recently, celebrities like basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and rapper Pitbull have invested in the sport, helping diversify the face of NASCAR's team ownership -- investments that could help drive new interest. Women began to compete more frequently throughout NASCAR's lower series over the course of the 1990s. Danica Patrick, in full Danica Sue Patrick, (born March 25, 1982, Beloit, Wisconsin, U.S.), American race car driver and the first woman to win an IndyCar championship event. However, Patrick would finish the race at 38th place after figuring in a crash. Female NASCAR drivers are proof that stereotypes are often distorted. Her first race in this series was in the 2010 Kroger 200 (Martinsville) and her last was in the 2020 Vankor 350 (Texas). It's like, why wouldn't that matter? She made her . She won the Snowball Derby in 1994. In that first race at Charlotte in 1949, she became the first female driver to compete in NASCARs top division, qualifying 13th and finishing 14th in a Ford owned by her husband, Frank. Feb 21, 2018. Some of her other awards are the 2005 Indianapolis 500 Rookie and the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series. Interestingly, the 1949 Daytona NASCAR event was the first to feature three female racers - Christian, Mobley and Smith - while the same three drivers also raced at Langhorne in 1949, the last NASCAR race with three female drivers. Beyond raising "millions of dollars" just to get on the track, having female drivers paving the way is also crucial, Balcaen said. The 17-year-old became the first female driver to win a K&N Pro Series race, taking the checkered flag in . [15] While the program has succeeded in launching the careers of minority drivers including NASCAR Cup Series race winner Kyle Larson, Camping World Truck Series race winner Bubba Wallace, and 2016 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Daniel Surez, the program's early years were less effective in expanding the roster of female drivers in NASCAR's top touring series. NASCAR Driver Hailee Deegan (Source: Wikimedia). Breidinger notably introduced the first beauty brand to NASCAR through a sponsorship deal with the Arab-owned Huda Beauty last year. The sister of early NASCAR racers Tim (Class of 2014), Bob and Fonty Flock, Ethel Mobley Flock competed in two NASCAR races in 1949, posting a best finish of 11th on the Daytona Beach-Road Course in July. She became the first female to compete in a NASCAR official event in 1949. She is one of the 16 women to ever participate in the NASCAR Cup Series and one of only three female drivers to race in the Daytona 500. Brehanna Daniels with ABC News' Faith Abubey. Besides racing, she runs Tinas Dream Ranch business and is also politically active. [5], NASCAR has seen varying levels of participation by female drivers throughout its ranks since the sanctioning body's inception in 1949. Robinson is the first woman to win a top level NASCAR sanctioned race. In that first Strictly Stock season of 1949, Christian competed in six of the eight races. She competed in over 100 NASCAR racing events. She returned to ARCA in 2021 for Youngs Motorsports on a part-time schedule. In 2017, Patrick became the first female NASCAR driver to lead the prestigious Coca Cola 600. Having a taste of the first race, Sara competed in five more competitions in 1949, finishing sixth and . "Girl, you are crazy" she told ABC News about what the person she was at 17 would think about her now, a NASCAR pit crew member. Hailie Deegan, born and raised in Temecula, California, is a 21 years old female NASCAR driver to have dominated the scene. Robinson Signing Autographs For Her Fans (Source: ESPN). In June 2020, Wallace, another NASCAR driver who also broke racial barriers in the sport, spoke out about racism after one of his crew members reported what looked like a noose hanging in the team's garage stall. Driver Jennifer Jo Cobb poses for a photo during at Clutch Studios on January 19, 2022, in Concord, North Carolina. 5. However, her biggest accomplishment, she told ABC News, was earning her sponsorship with RV product manufacturer ICON Direct last year. Then, keep on reading our list of best female NASCAR drivers. Christina Nielsen started racing as a teenager and now, at just 28 years old, she is the first female driver to win the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Series. Below is a list of top 10 talented female race car drivers. Cope made her beginning in this field through the Xfinity Series back in 2011. "There's always room for improvement. [31] Cobb planned on making her Cup Series debut in the spring Talladega race, driving the No. Though she competed in just seven races over the course of her career, she opened the door to racing for generations of women to come. She was 42nd in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2020 and her best finish was 31st in 2019. Darius Days Bio: Family, Contracts And Net Shaun Livingston Bio: Injuries, NBA Championships, Net Who Is Aaron Rodgers Wife? Although the series has existed since 1953, the series was not officially affiliated with NASCAR until its buyout on April 27, 2018. After fielding a part-time Cup team and winning their first race at Indianapolis last year, Kaulig Racing has taken the next step and will field two full-time Cup teams in 2022. She started her career in 2004 through the Xfinity Series, where she made 27 total starts. Toni Breidinger says that when she sat behind the wheel of a go-kart at age 9, she knew she would become a race car driver. The Last American Hero. At the age of 12, she progressed to legends car races. While some female NASCAR drivers have transitioned or attempted to transition from open-wheel racing and sports car racing (such as Sarah Fisher, Janet Guthrie, and Danica Patrick), most have climbed the stock-car racing ladder (such as Tammy Jo Kirk, Johanna Long, and Shawna Robinson), beginning to race full-sized stock cars in their teenage years. Richard Petty's 200 wins make him the winningest driver. Former "Price Is Right" Model Maryeve Dufault Had an Impressive Stint in NASCAR. Ty Dillon. "When you're new and then you're also a woman on top of that? Her love for racing began in her husbands short-track stock car. Finally, women are starting to make an impact in NASCAR, IndyCar, NHRA, and more. In 2004, NASCAR started the Drive for Diversity program, hoping to develop a more diverse driver base. In 2014, Danica Patrick had three top 10 finishes including 6th place in Atlanta. In 2013, The New York Times ran an article that effectively shut down any chance Tia Norfleet had at a NASCAR career. "I feel like for the first time since I've been involved, a lot of those things are starting to be addressed head on and progress is being made," Siegel said. While the Drive for Diversity program is keen to celebrate progress, Siegel said that success requires much more work. She made history by being the first female driver to win West Series races in 2018 and 2019. Larson, a NASCAR cup series driver and an alumni of the Drive for Diversity program, found himself in the pit fire and was suspended after using a racial slur at a virtual race last year. In 1986, Patty Moise would become the first woman to lead in a Busch Series race.[11]. Top 10 Essential NASCAR Stats and Facts. Her last race for NASCAR Xfinity Series was in the 2006 AT&T 250 (Milwaukee). "I think it's really becoming more intentional in addressing its past, its racist past and things that they can do better to respond to this multicultural generation in this multicultural market in which it operates.". . At only 22, she's been helping pave the way for up-and-coming female racers. Deegan debuted in 2018 through NASCAR K&N Pro Series West and has 18 races in her bag in just under three years. As for what success looks like decades from now, the Drive for Diversity program is still writing that chapter but Daniels said she already likes where NASCAR going. Patricia Moise-Sawyer is a former NASCAR driver born on 29 December, 1960 and is married to a former fellow NASCAR driver Elton Sawyer. She started racing by driving road course races at the age of 16 in the IMSA series. Instead of bolstering her career, this move has vilified her in the media, with potential sponsors less than eager to support a driver who has been accused of misrepresenting herself. Deegan grew up competing in off-road racing but made the switch to stock car racing in 2016. The full-time Camping World Truck Series driver was vying to make her first Cup Series start and become the first female to compete in the series since Danica Patrick retired from NASCAR in 2018 . She never really had a chance. She joined NASCAR in 2016 as part of the organization's "Drive for Diversity" program. Born in 1973, Cobb has been an active name in the industry. One of her most impressive performances came in September at the challenging Langhorne Speedway, a circular 1-mile track outside of Philadelphia. Get the latest top sport news and stories delivered to your inbox. Drivers say more funding is key to supporting women on the track. Ann Slaasted (1 / 1950) A handful of women (such as Mackena Bell and Kenzie Ruston) have raced with the help of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity program since its creation in 2004. Danica Sue Patrick is an American retired professional racing driver, model, actress, and singer who is considered the most successful female racecar driver in the history of American open-wheel racing. This article was last updated by Bikram Jirel on December 5, 2022. The NASCAR fan base is also overwhelmingly white. Formerly Busch North Series (19872005), Busch East Series (200607), Camping World East Series (200809) and K&N Pro Series East (201019), Formerly Pacific Coast Late Model Division (195469), Grand National West (1970), Winston West Series (197193), Winston Transcontinental Series (1994), Winston West Series (19952003), West Series (200405), AutoZone West Series (2006), West Series (2007), Camping World West Series (200809) and K&N Pro Series West (201019), Formerly Winston Modified Tour (198593) and Featherlite Modified Series (19942004), Formerly Desafo Corona (200406), Corona Series (200711), Toyota Series (201214), Mexico Series (2015), Note: Only partial statistics available prior to 2008 season, Formerly Mexico T4 Series (200407), Mini Stock Series (200910), Stock V6 Series (201115).